Fruit Loops getting a kick out of practice

[tsylvester]

https://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/tyler-loop-rhythm-rookie-minicamp-john-harbaugh-justin-tucker

The sound of Tyler Loop kicking a football is now a part of Ravens practices, perhaps for years to come.

Head Coach John Harbaugh, who had never seen Loop kick in person before the draft, liked what he saw and heard at rookie minicamp.

"It was good to see it. It was good to hear it," Harbaugh said. "I think as much as anything, it's good to hear a kicker, and the way the ball comes off his foot is impressive."

Loop impressed the Ravens enough to select him in the sixth round, the first kicker drafted in franchise history. He's under the microscope even more after the release of Justin Tucker on Monday, but performing under pressure is part of any successful NFL kicker's DNA.

Loop sounded prepared to handle expectations during his post-draft zoom press conference. He had a hunch the Ravens might draft him after meeting with Senior Special Teams Coach Randy Brown at the NFL kicker's dna.

"We got to chat a bunch and got to exchange film and just talk about that," Loop said. "The moment that I was like, 'Alright, hey, I think we're going to end up at Baltimore,' was right after the Patriots took 'Andy' (kicker Andres Borregales). I was like, 'Alright, here we go. I'm going to be a Baltimore Raven and go to be with Randy and Harbaugh and be a Raven.' I'm pumped."

Loop has arguably the biggest leg in this year's class, making a school record 62-yard field goal at Arizona and converting 63 of 80 career field goal attempts (83.8%). He was six for nine on field goals of at least 50 yards in 2024.

Though he hasn't had a ton of experience kicking in the cold winter climates he will see in the AFC North, Loop isn't worried.

"Being in the Pac-12, I got to go up to Washington, Washington State, and Oregon and play up there in some cold weather and some wind and crazy conditions," Loop said. "It's something that gets me excited.

"I think having a challenge to go conquer and a skillset to refine and really work on and become an expert of kicking in those conditions is something that gets me fired up. Learning from coaches who have been up there for a long time and learned how to be successful in the AFC North kicking, that's something that just the sound of gets me pumped up, so I'm really looking forward to it."

[oldno82]

I hope for the best for this kid, but he's got a really tough act to follow.

[papasmurfbell]

Can’t compare him to Tucker.  It has to be against the league.

[oldno82]

I agree though I wonder if that will be the case with most Ravens fans.

[tsylvester]

As long as he remembers to just fill his own shoes instead of trying to fill Tucker's, he should be fine

[papasmurfbell]

Unfortunately our fans have gotten stupid the last 15 yrs or so.  Maybe the old colts fans died off so much and the dumbasses have moved to the front of the line.

[tsylvester]

These young fans, mostly millennials, have no idea what it means to be a fan

[papasmurfbell]

True.  But even a good chunk of older fans.

[oldno82]

Football is way different today. It is a rare player who lives year round in the city where he plays and even less likely for a fan to run into such a player at the store or gas station. Hell I remember Don Shula eating dinner at a Howard Johnson's in Towson decades ago. Same with other fans and players. The Big Money has really ruined the old camaraderie between team and players.

Yeah I'm old.

 

[oldno82]

Hey, the Panthers just released Clowney...should we have any interest in that??

[papasmurfbell]

He can wait.  He doesn’t want to do otas.  See what we have and if we need a boost an incentive laden deal.

[tsylvester]

10 hours ago, oldno82 said:

Hey, the Panthers just released Clowney...should we have any interest in that??

He had 5 sacks last year, granted on a bad team. Not sure he has much left

[oldno82]

Yeah. I think waiting is our best move at least for now.